Millions of Americans suffer from acid indigestion at least once a week. Typically heartburn begins as a slight burning in the chest area, right behind the breastbone. After a few minutes, this burning sensation can actually move up into your throat and mouth. If you have ever experienced it, you know just how painful it can be.

But what causes heartburn?

Typically, acid reflux can be attributed to the type, or amount, of food that you consume during the day. Certain foods have been shown to dramatically increase the amount of acid your stomach produces. While every person is affected in slightly different ways, the following are a few of the foods that cause heartburn by increasing acid production:

• Tomato products - including juices and sauces made with tomatoes
• Citrus products - examples include oranges and grapefruits
• Alcohol
• Carbonated beverages - diet and regular
• Caffeinated beverages - coffee, tea, etc

Acid reflux can also be caused by a weakness in a set of muscle tissue called the lower esophageal sphincter (also known as the LES). The lower esophageal sphincter controls what is allowed in an out of the stomach. Basically it acts as the gatekeeper and is located at the junction of the stomach and the esophagus. When all is working as designed, the chances of you getting acid ingestion is much lower.

There are, unfortunately, a number of food choices that can cause the lower esophageal sphincter to relax at the wrong time, allowing acid to escape into the esophagus. These foods include:

• Fatty foods - besides being high in cholesterol, fatty foods tend to cause heartburn issues by staying in the stomach much longer than other, non-fatty, foods
• Chocolate
• Caffeinated beverages - these drinks truly cause havoc in our bodies
• Mayonnaise - condiments can contain too much fat as well
• Butter and margarine - see Mayonnaise above

In addition to avoiding certain trigger foods that cause heartburn, there are a few other things that you can do to reduce the symptoms of acid reflux.

• Eat Smaller Meals - From the time we were little children, our parents have told us to eat three square meals a day. Growing up, you may have been forced to sit there until you ate everything on your plate, even if you were not hungry. In order to get rid of heartburn, however, it is crucial that you limit the amount of acid your stomach produces. One way to do this is to eat smaller meals.
• Never Eat within Three Hours of Going to Bed - The last thing you want to do is to eat a big meal, then lie down. When you are standing, you have the benefit of gravity helping to keep acid where it belongs. When you lay down, you lose that benefit. Give your stomach plenty of time to digest the food you have consumed and you will dramatically reduce the symptoms of acid reflux.
• Lose Weight - If you are overweight, you have an increased likelihood of getting gastric reflux. If fact, more than 30% of overweight individuals experience heartburn regularly. When you are obese, the pressure on your abdomen increases. This increased pressure can actually push the contents of the stomach through the LES, which leads to terrible heartburn pain. Merely losing 10% of your body weight has shown to get rid of heartburn symptoms in many patients.

Learning to control your heartburn is extremely important. Your esophagus was not meant to deal with acid very well and regular exposure can have lasting negative ramifications. If you experience heartburn more than once a week, over a period of two or three months, you should consult your doctor to ensure that there is not some underlying condition causing your heartburn.

If you experience symptoms of acid indigestion only occasionally, however, there are numerous natural heartburn remedies available. Making better dietary choices, eating smaller more frequent meals and losing weight are great building blocks. If you want to learn how to get rid of heartburn forever, visit http://getridofheartburn.info.